44 044
"Bringing my girlfriend home."
Mrs. Wu: [Everyone, there's new information about Mr. Xie Zhiyan and his young girlfriend!]
Mrs. Liu: [Oh, Mrs. Wu, you're so well-informed!]
Mrs. Li: [Which girlfriend, the old one or the new one?]
Mrs. Wu: [Ahem! There's no such thing as new or old, it's all a misunderstanding. You'll see when you see this!]
Mrs. Wu sent a screenshot of her phone screen to the group chat; it was taken from Ning Yuxuan's WeChat Moments.
After posting the picture, Mrs. Wu leisurely sipped her flower tea and silently counted the time in her mind.
Sure enough, within fifteen seconds, no fewer than five messages popped up in the group chat.
Mrs. Li: [Is this Mr. Xie's girlfriend's WeChat Moments?]
Mrs. Liu: [Mrs. Wu, what does this mean? I recognize the one with long hair, that's the Ning family's young lady. Who's the one with short hair?]
Mrs. He [Question][Question]
...
Mrs. Wu typed slowly: "It's like this, the short-haired girl that Mr. Xie took home yesterday is Ning's daughter's best friend."
Mrs. He: [So, the car Mr. Xie was seen driving yesterday was actually dropping off his girlfriend's best friend?]
Mrs. Li: [Mrs. Wu, are you sure you're not mistaken? Is this really how it is?]
Mrs. Wu: [There's no mistake! Mr. Xie's girlfriend specifically posted on her WeChat Moments to clarify!]
Mrs. Liu: [That Mr. Xie's girlfriend is really something! She's got Mr. Xie, this incredibly busy man, to be her driver and take her friends around.]
The ladies all exclaimed in amazement.
They could hardly believe that Xie Zhiyan, who hadn't had a girlfriend for many years, was suddenly dating someone with this kind of personality.
This is like being pampered and cherished!
Meanwhile, some people in the group noticed a small detail.
Mrs. Li: [Mrs. Wu, did you take this screenshot from your own WeChat Moments? Did you add that Ning family girl as a friend?]
Mrs. Liu: [It really is! Isn't this background picture Mrs. Wu's family photo?]
Mrs. He: [Mrs. Wu, you have some connections! I tried to add them the other day, but they wouldn't accept my request!]
Mrs. Wu elegantly put a bite of rose pastry into her mouth, watching the commotion in the group chat with a smug look on her face.
Finally, someone has discovered it.
After seeing Ning Yuxuan's post on WeChat Moments, Mrs. Wu immediately took a screenshot. She even cleverly left part of her own Moments background uncut.
She immediately found out Xie's girlfriend's contact information and added her right away.
When it comes to sensitivity to gossip and scandals, she ranks second in the entire social circle of wives in Beicheng, and no one dares to claim to be number one!
Mrs. Wu: [Oh dear, what can I do? My husband has some influence in the business world. That young lady probably added me because of him; she's quite enthusiastic towards me.]
In fact, after she added Ning Yuxuan as a friend, the two greeted each other politely, but never communicated again.
Anyway, the other wives are unlikely to investigate her chat history, so they can say whatever they want.
Mrs. Li: [Mrs. Wu, you should have said so earlier! Actually, I've been wanting to add her as a friend for a while but haven't been able to. Could you introduce me to someone?]
Mrs. Liu: [Oh, Mrs. Li, you're really something! The girl is young, she definitely doesn't like dealing with middle-aged women like us. Let's not try to force ourselves on her!]
Almost simultaneously, Mrs. Wu received a private message from Mrs. Liu.
Mrs. Liu: [Mrs. Wu, we're the closest in this group. It was my husband, Mr. Liu, who introduced your husband to that order last time! If there's any new news about Mr. Xie's girlfriend, remember to let me know immediately!]
Coincidentally, two more ladies in the group messaged me privately, saying they wanted Mrs. Wu to act as a middleman and also wanted to add Ning Yuxuan as a friend.
Mrs. Wu felt elated as she read these messages.
She replied to each one: "Oh dear, they added me because of my husband, Lao Wu. They probably don't really want to add other people as friends. I'll try my best!"
Mrs. Wu replied in this way, but she didn't actually intend to help them at all.
Otherwise, wouldn't this firsthand information no longer necessarily come from her in the future?
Besides, this could be a bridge to get closer to the Xie family; only a fool would share such a resource so easily.
Ning Yuxuan herself had no idea that her status as a friend was being used by Mrs. Wu as a source of pride to boast about in their social circle.
She was leaning back in the leather seat in the back of the car, playing a tower defense game on her phone.
Xie Zhiyan was next to her, wearing Bluetooth headphones, having a short meeting.
At first, Ning Yuxuan had the sound on speakerphone, and since Xie Zhiyan didn't say anything, she didn't turn it off.
Ning Yuxuan has always felt that sound is an indispensable part of the gaming experience in tower defense games; the various sound effects produced by different turrets when they attack monsters are very exciting.
The driver was genuinely worried as he listened to the various game sound effects coming from behind.
All he knew was that the only person who would dare to so brazenly interrupt President Xie's meeting was Miss Ning.
Since Mr. Xie hadn't spoken, the driver naturally had no right to remind Ms. Ning to turn off the sound.
Ning Yuxuan glanced at Xie Zhiyan silently and turned off the game sound only after Xie Zhiyan finished listening to his subordinate's report and started speaking into the meeting.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the driver in the front seat also breathed a sigh of relief.
Ning Yuxuan has been playing this game for a few days and has progressed to some of the more difficult parts.
Ning Yuxuan is currently playing this level, and she still hasn't passed it on her second attempt.
She took a deep breath and subconsciously looked around.
Xie Zhiyan had finished his meeting sometime earlier, closed his laptop, and met her gaze.
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "Are you done with your work?"
Xie Zhiyan hummed in agreement.
Ning Yuxuan said "Great!" and turned the speaker back on. Upbeat game background music filled the car again, this time at a much louder volume than before.
Previously, she had been mindful of Xie Zhiyan, but now that he had finished speaking, she could speak out loud without restraint.
driver:"……"
Xie Zhiyan looked at Ning Yuxuan, both amused and exasperated: "You asked me if I was done with my work, just so you could turn on the game music?"
Ning Yuxuan didn't see anything wrong with it: "Yes!"
She argued confidently, "Sound is also part of the gaming experience. This level is very difficult, and having all the sound effects on helps me perform better!"
Xie Zhiyan looked at her with amusement: "Who was it that said they were nervous before?"
Ning Yuxuan: "It takes an hour to drive from my house to yours, and I can't be nervous the whole time."
She was a little nervous when she first got on the bus, so she turned on the game to relax.
But after failing twice in a row, she got really into the zone and now just wanted to beat the level.
"I'm not talking to you anymore." Ning Yuxuan pressed the "Try again" button and started arranging her troops again.
Ning Yuxuan's fingers flew across the keyboard, and all sorts of bizarre sound effects filled the car once again.
Five minutes later, I finally made it through the game with great difficulty.
Ning Yuxuan swiped away from the game interface and opened WeChat to check if she had missed any messages.
As soon as it was opened, new friend requests sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
After quickly scanning the verification messages, Ning Yuxuan looked directly at the man beside her without even thinking.
Xie Zhiyan calmly met her gaze: "What?"
Ning Yuxuan said firmly, "Did you tell one of your friends about us again?"
Xie Zhiyan raised his eyebrows, indicating his confusion.
Ning Yuxuan: "The reason why so many people suddenly added me on WeChat last time was because you told them that I was your girlfriend."
Xie Zhiyan chuckled, calmly clearing himself of suspicion: "This time I really didn't say anything."
Ning Yuxuan: Really?
Xie Zhiyan nodded.
Ning Yuxuan asked in confusion, "Then what's going on with these people...?"
Xie Zhiyan calmly analyzed for her: "Perhaps when I drove you home yesterday, someone I knew saw you on the road. This car isn't very common, and many people know my license plate number."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
“So,” Ning Yuxuan stared at Xie Zhiyan, “it’s still because of you.”
Xie Zhiyan: "Then let me help you solve this problem?"
Ning Yuxuan's curiosity was piqued: "What's your idea?"
Xie Zhiyan reached out his hand: "Let me see who's here first."
Ning Yuxuan handed him the phone with some skepticism.
Xie Zhiyan swiped his finger across the screen twice, and after a moment, handed the phone back to Ning Yuxuan.
Ning Yuxuan watched as the man took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Uncle He, could you please do me a favor?"
After exchanging a few brief words, Xie Zhiyan hung up the phone: "Alright. You don't need to worry about those friend requests. No one should bother you for a while."
...
After learning how "special" Xie Zhiyan was to Ning Yuxuan, many people started to get restless again, wanting to try to get closer to Ning Yuxuan.
Many people sent friend requests again, hoping to get away with it, for all sorts of reasons.
It was somewhat impolite to ask for her contact information so abruptly, but everyone thought that she was a young girl who was just starting out in her career and shouldn't mind.
If the young girl is easily persuaded, she might be able to obtain some resources from the Xie family, making a huge profit.
However, no one expected that the current head of the He family, who had always been on good terms with the Xie family, would bring up this matter at the banquet.
It was mentioned after receiving a phone call. Anyone could guess that it was Xie Zhiyan's own idea, but since the He family was holding a banquet that night, he used Chairman He's words to inform everyone.
The meaning is simple and clear: stop adding his girlfriend's private contact information unnecessarily.
For work-related collaborations, please add Ning Yuxuan's work WeChat directly.
The news caused another uproar in the industry.
Everyone's curiosity about the name "Ning Yuxuan" reached its peak.
.
An hour later, the car finally stopped at the gate of the Xie family's old house.
The trunk was filled with gifts for Zheng Xinmei. Some of them were chosen by Ning Fei based on her understanding of her friend, some were prepared by Xie Zhiyan, and only about a third were picked out by Ning Yuxuan herself at the mall.
Xie Zhiyan took the majority.
Ning Yuxuan carried only the lightest bag, which contained a silk scarf she had personally chosen, and she also held a bunch of ice cream lisianthus in her hand.
Before the two even reached their doorstep, Zheng Xinmei had already come out to greet them.
"Oh, Xuanxuan, you've finally arrived?"
The newcomer was dressed in a moon-white long dress, simple yet elegant.
Ning Yuxuan hadn't seen Zheng Xinmei for a long time, and said from the bottom of her heart, "Aunt Zheng, you are still as young as I was when I last saw you."
Zheng Xinmei beamed with joy: "Xuanxuan, you're still as sweet-talking as ever, but you seem even more beautiful than before. No wonder you captivated our Zhiyan so quickly."
She took the lisianthus from Ning Yuxuan's arms: "Is this for me? It's so beautiful. Zhiyan never remembers to give me flowers."
After they met, Zheng Xinmei kept talking to Ning Yuxuan, leaving her son aside.
Finally, in a brief moment, Xie Zhiyan spoke up: "Mom, it's hot outside, let's go inside and talk."
Zheng Xinmei then glanced at her son and complained, "I'm happy to see Xuanxuan, but you have to spoil my mood."
Despite saying that, Zheng Xinmei still followed his instructions and brought Ning Yuxuan into the house.
Zheng Xinmei instructed her son to put the bag of gifts in the corner of the living room first: "These are all gifts that Xuanxuan brought, right? Put them down first, I'll look at them slowly after I finish eating."
Then he said to Ning Yuxuan, "Xuanxuan, please sit down. The food is ready. I'll go to the kitchen and bring it over. Let's eat while it's hot, and we can chat about the rest while we eat."
Ning Yuxuan wanted to help, but Zheng Xinmei firmly stopped her from entering the kitchen.
There was nothing I could do but sit and wait for the food to be served.
When she was younger and more naive, Ning Yuxuan could come to Zheng Xinmei's place every day to freeload meals without a care in the world, but now she feels quite uncomfortable.
It's hard to say whether it's because I've grown up and matured, or because my identity has changed.
Xie Zhiyan was also forced by his mother to stay at the dining table and not go to the kitchen to help, so that he could keep his girlfriend company.
Seeing that Ning Yuxuan was a little uncomfortable, Xie Zhiyan gently comforted her: "That's just how my mom is. She's usually not this busy, so it's a rare opportunity for you to come over, so just consider it a treat for her."
Ning Yuxuan was amused by Xie Zhiyan and relaxed a little.
Soon, a table full of dishes was served, all of which were Ning Yuxuan's favorites.
Ning Yuxuan didn't need to exaggerate; her surprise was palpable: "Auntie, these... are all my favorite dishes."
Zheng Xinmei sat down opposite Ning Yuxuan, and smiled broadly upon hearing this: "Really? It seems Zhiyan remembered correctly, he told me you wanted to eat these. Xuanxuan, why don't you try them, has Auntie's cooking gotten any worse?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
At the dinner table, she had to forcibly suppress the urge to glare at Xie Zhiyan.
Ning Yuxuan picked up a piece of pork rib and took a bite.
"Delicious!" Ning Yuxuan nodded. "It tastes exactly like I remember. It's the best pork ribs I've ever eaten."
Zheng Xinmei laughed and said, "That's good, that's good. I was worried that I'd been rusty since I haven't made this dish in a long time."
Ning Yuxuan tasted all the other dishes, praising each one in a different way.
Zheng Xinmei couldn't stop laughing.
Zheng Xinmei's biggest hobbies are baking and cooking. Baking is fine; she can give the desserts she makes to friends or keep them for herself to enjoy slowly.
Cooking becomes much more difficult; cooking for one person is harder than cooking for a family.
Her son only comes home once or twice a month, and he reacts to almost every kind of food, which makes her feel no sense of accomplishment.
Now that Ning Yuxuan has come to our home, she finally has room to make her mark.
"Don't just keep praising me, child," Zheng Xinmei said with a smile. "Eat as much as you like. This time I made all your favorite dishes. When you come next time, Auntie has many new signature dishes that she wants you to try."
Ning Yuxuan, with a large piece of braised pork stuffed in her mouth, nodded vigorously with her cheeks puffed out upon hearing this.
Zheng Xinmei's eyes crinkled with laughter.
“Zhiyan,” she said, looking at her son, “tell me, if you had even half as sweet a tongue as Xuanxuan, I would be more than satisfied.”
Xie Zhiyan smiled faintly and said, "That's perfect. If we split it between the two of us, it will meet your requirements just right."
Even though Zheng Xinmei was already used to her son's way of speaking, she still found it both funny and exasperating: "What kind of talk is that?"
Sure enough, talking to Ning Yuxuan is much more pleasant.
After dinner, Ning Yuxuan was truly full and satisfied; her dress, which had previously fit perfectly, now felt tight.
Ning Yuxuan was glad she hadn't chosen a tight-fitting dress, otherwise the zipper would probably have burst open.
The tableware was tidied up by the housekeeper. Zheng Xinmei asked her son to bring the gifts that had been put away earlier to the coffee table in the living room so that he could look at them with Ning Yuxuan.
There were many gifts, and with the help of Ning Fei and Xie Zhiyan, they were all things Zheng Xinmei liked.
Zheng Xinmei was more and more satisfied with each one: "Xuanxuan, to tell you the truth, today is the happiest day I've had in recent years."
This praise was too high. Ning Yuxuan couldn't think of a response for a moment and subconsciously looked at Xie Zhiyan on the other side.
Xie Zhiyan said, "Mom, what are you saying? She can't not come to see you often anymore."
Zheng Xinmei understood her son's unspoken message: he wanted her not to put too much pressure on Ning Yuxuan.
She is indeed happy today.
Firstly, her son finally brought a girlfriend home after so many years, a rare occurrence that brought her, as a mother, genuine joy.
Secondly, she genuinely likes Ning Fei's daughter. She's beautiful, has a good personality, and while she used to be a bit impulsive, she's become much more composed now.
Most importantly, we get along well.
Since her husband left, Zheng Xinmei's biggest wish has been for someone to talk to her more.
She didn't want to associate with most people in the elite circles; dealing with them was too mentally and physically exhausting, and she had had enough of that when she was younger.
With her son busy with work and the family business falling on his shoulders, Zheng Xinmei knew she couldn't expect her son to come home to see her often.
Now that Ning Yuxuan is her son's girlfriend, it couldn't be better.
Zheng Xinmei smiled and said to Ning Yuxuan, "I heard from your mother that you've been helping her manage Huayuan recently. Auntie knows you're busy, but if you ever want to eat Auntie's cooking, just give me a call and I'll come over anytime!"
Ning Yuxuan smiled and agreed, "Okay, but if I keep eating like this, I'm afraid you'll fatten me up by twenty pounds."
Zheng Xinmei: "You're too thin now, gaining a little weight would be just right!"
After looking at the gifts, Zheng Xinmei got up and went to the restroom.
There was fruit on the coffee table, but Ning Yuxuan was too full to even eat any more.
Taking advantage of Zheng Xinmei's absence, Ning Yuxuan confronted Xie Zhi, saying, "Didn't we agree not to tell your mother what I wanted to eat? Why did you still tell her?"
Xie Zhiyan remained expressionless: "My mom asked me what dishes you like to eat, I can't lie to her."
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
She pointed to her noticeably protruding belly: "It's all your fault, I've gotten like this from eating so much."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes held a hint of helplessness: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Ning Yuxuan: "I'm not exactly feeling unwell, it's just that I can't eat fruit right now."
"Speaking of which," Ning Yuxuan changed the subject, "why didn't your mother ask any questions about you and me? She just kept chatting with me."
Before coming, Ning Yuxuan was worried that she wouldn't be able to answer Zheng Xinmei's questions, but now it seems that her worries were unnecessary.
A hint of a smile flashed across Xie Zhiyan's eyes: "I finally managed to bring my girlfriend home, and she's probably afraid that if she asks too many questions, she'll run away from you."
Ning Yuxuan: "...Then I really won't say anything more. If your mother asks you about it separately later, remember not to let anything slip."
As they were talking, Zheng Xinmei returned to the living room.
"Xuanxuan," Zheng Xinmei said, "Auntie hasn't asked you yet, how long are you planning to stay?"
Ning Yuxuan: "I'm going to record a variety show with my mom tomorrow, so I need to get to the recording site early in the morning to prepare."
The implication was that he couldn't go home too late tonight.
Zheng Xinmei: "Oh right, Auntie almost forgot, you have another program that needs to be filmed every weekend. Where is the filming location?"
Ning Yuxuan gave a rough address.
Zheng Xinmei pondered for a moment: "Isn't that very close to where I live? Why don't I talk to your mother and ask Xuanxuan to stay here with me tonight?"
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
